Gillard yesterday released part of NBN Co.’s corporate plan,
boosted consumer protection and established a committee to
oversee its rollout to woo independent Senators Steve Fielding
and Nick Xenophon. The government already has the support from
the Australian Greens, clearing the way for the Telstra laws to
pass in the Senate. Telstra shares rose as much as 6.1 percent
today in Sydney trading and closed up 3.6 percent at A$2.88.

Gillard’s government needs to gain the support of four non-party lawmakers in the House of Representatives and seven extra
votes to pass laws in the Senate. A vote on Telstra is expected
in the Senate by tomorrow, before Parliament has a two-month
Christmas break.

“This an important piece of legislation and it ends the
year on a high note for the government,” Nick Economou, a
political scientist at Melbourne-based Monash University, said
in a phone interview. “This makes way for substantive national
policy that will be popular with voters in country
electorates.”

Fiber Optics

The national Internet plan is the nation’s largest
infrastructure project and includes an A$9 billion deal with
Melbourne-based Telstra, the nation’s biggest phone company. It
will be completed by 2018, laying fiber optics that would reach
93 percent of the population, with the remainder served by
wireless and satellite coverage.

Gillard earlier this week intervened in negotiations to win
the support of independent lawmakers for the laws.

“I’m very pleased that what’s happened in the parliament
this week is a win for families who are going to get faster,
cheaper broadband,” Gillard told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
radio today, “That’s what has come out of the parliament this
week and Australians want broadband.”

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy introduced the
national broadband plan laws to the lower house today. Both
houses of parliament are to debate that legislation next year.

“This will help Gillard dispel a notion the government has
no agenda,” Economou said. “It will also help them shake this
perception that the government and the parliament are marching
to the beat of the Greens.”